(Reno, Nev. – June 18, 2025) – Daren Griffin, President and CEO of the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority (RTAA), has been named the recipient of a 2025 Impact Award by Vistage, the world’s largest CEO coaching and peer advisory organization for small and midsize businesses. The Impact Award recognizes the remarkable development and achievement of trailblazing leaders. From business growth to leadership development, dedicated leaders reach significant heights within their first years as Vistage members, with lasting impact on their company, peers and community.
“Daren is doing something rare — leading a quasi-governmental agency while operating with the strategic agility and clarity of a private enterprise,” said Chuck Alvey, Vistage Chair. “He’s not only building infrastructure; he’s building leadership at every level of the organization.”
Griffin has spent the past 31 years building a distinguished career in airport management. In 2020, he was selected to lead the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority (RTAA) following a national search and has since emerged as one of the region’s most visionary public-sector leaders.
The nomination for the award highlighted several key factors that distinguish Griffin as an exceptional leader.
Under Griffin’s leadership, the Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority (RTAA) launched MoreRNO, a transformative $1+ billion capital improvement plan— the largest in the airport’s history — featuring new concourses, an expanded Ticketing Hall, a new Ground Transportation Center, and a modern Airport Police and Administration Building. He secured a $238 million bond issuance and the longest airline lease agreement in RTAA’s history, positioning the airport as a key driver of Northern Nevada’s growth. At the same time, he led a sweeping culture shift by reorganizing HR into “People Operations,” launching a Leadership Academy, and empowering frontline decision-making. His steady hand through complex governance challenges — including the successful transfer of airport fire services to the City of Reno — and his disciplined financial stewardship have set RTAA on a path of long-term strength and innovation.
“It’s an honor to be recognized by Vistage with this Impact Award,” said Daren Griffin. “I joined to grow as a leader, but by connecting and building relationships with other northern Nevada CEOs, what I’ve gained has gone far beyond that. Vistage has helped me lead with greater clarity, think more strategically and stay focused on what matters most — serving our growing community.”
A U.S. Army veteran, Griffin holds a bachelor’s degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and is an Accredited Airport Executive (A.A.E.). He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) and as Vice President of the Nevada Airports Association (NVAA).
For more information on Vistage, visit vistage.com.
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About Vistage Worldwide, Inc.
Vistage is the world’s largest CEO coaching and peer advisory organization for small and midsize businesses. For more than 65 years, we’ve been helping CEOs, business owners and key executives solve their greatest challenges through confidential peer groups and one-to-one executive coaching sessions. Today, more than 45,000 members in 35 countries rely on Vistage to help make better decisions for their companies, families and communities. The results prove it: Vistage CEO members grew their annual revenue on average by 4.6% in 2020, while nonmembers with comparable small and midsize businesses saw revenue decrease by 4.7%, according to a study of Dun & Bradstreet data. Learn more at vistage.com.
About RNO
The Reno-Tahoe Airport Authority (RTAA) operates two of the most important economic drivers for our region – the Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO) and the Reno-Stead Airport (RTS). The RTAA is financially self-sufficient, meaning it is funded through airport operations and not state or local taxes. Eleven airlines serve RNO, flying to multiple nonstop destinations throughout the United States and Mexico. For more details, visit www.renoairport.com.
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